Attracting customers to your website takes more than just having a nice-looking website. With the 2014 Advanced Web Rankings study showing that websites on the first page of Google receiving 95% of web traffic, it’s no surprise that businesses are all vying for that all important first page ranking.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a way to improve your website ranking on search engines such as Google. Over the past few years the Google algorithm has changed how websites are ranked. It used to focus on backlinks between websites and identify ‘relevant’ content based on heavy use of keywords in text. Today, Google is still looking for keywords in content, but focusing on quality rather than quantity. The latest algorithm also promotes websites that are mobile responsive, as the continued trend for using smartphones to access the internet increases.

Companies do pay a lot of money to try to ensure they are ‘top ranked’, but for those entrepreneurs on a budget, here are 3 cost-effective ways to improve your website ranking organically:

1. Optimise Your Website

Are visitors able to find the relevant information quickly? If customers can’t contact you easily, or click on links that no longer work, they will go to another website.

Are your images are labelled correctly, e.g. John Smith CEO, rather than 10034764.jpeg? Relevant ‘meta data’ and ‘title tags’ throughout your site is considered a good thing by the latest Google algorithm.

Is your website mobile responsive (i.e. the display adapts to the different screen size)? These little things can make a big difference. Platforms such as Squarespace do some of that work automatically, but it’s worth checking with your website developer / designer if you’re not sure.

2. Google My Business

This free tool is another way to verify your online presence, and help your website appear on Google Maps and Google search results. You can also edit information such as opening hours, contact details, product images, and manage Google Reviews.

3. Local Online Directories

As mentioned before, previous Google algorithms focused on links to establish a website ranking. This still holds true, but again, it’s the quality rather than quantity of the links that matter.

You should be looking to list your website on local online business directories. If you are a member of a business organisation or industry body, you should also be listed on their online directory. These directories give you an opportunity to write a short description about your business, list your contact details and your website address. As these links come from trusted sources, this will also help boost your rankings.

I hope you’ve found the above helpful!

If you're looking to upgrade your website to a mobile responsive site, why not get in touch? Hot Lizard Designs uses the Squarespace platform to build customised sites that look great on any device.